The present invention is a sofa bed recliner, an improvement of U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,823.
The present invention supplies easily extendable and retractable legs to a seat frame for a sofa bed recliner.
Where the sofa bed recliner of the present invention is placed against a wall, the opening of the sofa bed recliner moves the back frame forward and downward to the base from the sitting position to horizontal position. The base acts as a means to mount the seat frame and back frame. The back frame flattens as it moves forward, from its upright position to a horizontal position. In so doing, the back frame moves forward without any backward movement, allowing the sofa bed recliner to be fully opened without having to move the sofa bed recliner backwards from its fixed position, particularly when it is against the wall. The same structure also has the full advantage of being able to retain a fixed position in its transition from seat to bed to be fully functional as a recliner.
In a preferred embodiment, the length and width of the back frame and the seat frame are such that, when opened into a horizontal position for sleeping, the back frame and seat frame are the full size of a double bed supported on the mount.
In order to enable effective use of the support as sleeping furniture, legs are extended underneath the projecting seat frame.
The seat frame and back frame are preferably interlockable when reverting sofa bed recliner from horizontal position to sitting position.
The present invention is particularly adapted for use with a futon. Futons have become popular, offering the advantage of convertible structure adaptable for both sitting and sleeping. The present invention is a support structure for a futon, having the combined advantage of being a supported seat and a sofa bed recliner. The futon is used on the sofa bed recliner as a combination seat cushion and mattress which can function without having to be removed as the sofa bed recliner transforms from a sofa to a bed and to a recliner. The sofa bed recliner of the present invention is in effect an adaptable futon or mattress or cushion support styled to function as a unique sofa bed recliner.
A mattress may be used with the sofa bed recliner of the present invention. A futon when used in conjunction with the support of the present invention has the distinct advantage of functioning as a comfortable mattress as well as a seat cushion and back rest in all positions, seat, recliner and bed. A mattress then does not have to be shifted onto the sofa bed recliner support.
The present invention has the advantage of the space saving of a futon supported on a structure, which also saves space.
Particularly when it is desirable to have a sofa bed recliner open to the size of a full bed, the seat frame of a sofa bed recliner extends a substantial distance beyond the front of the base when the seat frame is in horizontal position. When this happens it is necessary to support the seat frame so that in use the sofa bed recliner is not overbalanced by the weight on the extended seat frame.
In sofa bed recliners such as in the present invention the back frame slides forward without rearward movement. It is preferable to have a support arm mounted to the back frame intermediate of its vertical length at the the rear of the back frame. When the seat frame is pulled forward to place the sofa bed recliner in its horizontal position the back frame then pivots backward as it is being pulled forward pivoting with the seat frame, without not extending rearward.
In another preferred embodiment a tension spring biases the support arm against the back frame to prevent an over rapid drop of the back frame, because of its weight, on to the base when placing the sofa bed recliner in horizontal position.
In the past some form of support had to be provided for the seat frame which, when extended beyond the base tended to overbalance the sofa bed recliner, from weight applied to the seat frame. The prior art provided many complex or awkward solutions to the problem of providing seat frame support in a sofa bed recliner that did not have to be pulled back from a wall. The present invention supplies such support, conveniently, during the course of moving the sofa bed recliner to a horizontal position and reverting the sofa bed recliner to a sitting position.